Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)

by Sarah J. Maas

I don't mind long books. Especially not if I care about the characters, which I did. I really enjoyed most chapters of this book, and I agree that it could have been shorter, but I did not mind the length. I thought it was a good ending to this series. There were a lot of things that needed to be wrapped up, a lot of people that still had a lot to say, and a lot of fates that needed to be met.

I thought that seeing Aelin suffering from PTSD after being locked in a box for a long time was relevant to the story and showed us finally that different side of her. Honestly, I was afraid that Sarah J Maas would decide that she would not be affected by it. I am glad she went for a realistic approach. I was also afraid that a huge part of the book would again be dedicated to detailed sex scenes, not because I minded them, but I just wanted a conclusion to this series and I was afraid that erotica would come above finalizing the series. I am glad it did not. Of course, there was some sex, but it was not as detailed and often as in Empire of Storms, which was a bit too much for me.

In this final installment, I still did not care about Rowan, or Lorcan, but I finally started caring about Fenrys. There were deaths that I had not seen coming. The way the Thirteen sacrificed themselves for the greater good, to help Manon. Gavriel's death. Of course, Aelin survived against all odds, making a weird deal with the Gods. I honestly do not understand why she wanted to help Elena. She loaded the woman at the beginning of the series. And now, she suddenly wants to make her friends suffer more, take on Erawan, just so that Elena can stay a bit longer? I am sure Sarah J Maas knows Elena better than I do, and she must have seen her reasons for doing it, but I did not understand it nor could I find the explanation in this book. Maybe in a reread one day.

If I am being honest, this is probably one of the best series conclusions I have read of a long series. Yes, some of it was predictable, but all loose ends were addressed and solved. This will never be the best series ending, but it was a good predictable one with everything tied up, which is also nice for a change.